But his pater’s presence had been missing from Xan’s life for the last few months, ever since Father declared Pater had spoiled Xan and made him soft. Supposedly, being denied Pater’s support now was meant to toughen him up. Though Xan was pretty sure it was simply a punishment to them both, really.
Even if Ray wasn’t Pater, hewassafe, and Xan relaxed as Ray touched Xan’s chin again. His brotherly concern dampened the sting of his demands. “This stops. Do you understand? It has to end. Now.”
“I’ve already promised Caleb—”
“As you have a half dozen times before. And, as you’ve promised me, too, in the past. Don’t you remember? Last year, before you contracted with Caleb, when the rumors were swirling about you and some alpha getting up to—”
“Those rumors were completely untrue!”
And they had been.
Xan had already been getting his dark fix from Monhundy for several months when the rumors began about him and one incredibly handsome alpha actor named Gil Regelly. Mr. Regelly starred in many plays at the city theater, and it was well known that he went without an omega by choice. Crass rumors swirled regularly about his preference for betas as sexual partners—and even, it was whispered with the eagerness of scandal, sometimes other alphas.
Xan had been intrigued by the rumors, and when the opportunity arose to meet him, he hadn’t hesitated. Certainly if Mr. Regelly had wanted more than the few words they’d exchanged under the supervision of Jason’s pater, Miner Hoff, then Xan would have let him take it in a heartbeat. But Mr. Regelly hadn’t seemed interested.
Xan went on. “I met Mr. Regelly one time, and one time only, at the Sabel-Hoff house. I was never alone with him for even a minute. Jason’s pater was with us the entire evening.”
Because Mr. Regelly was Miner’s friend, and he’d arranged the meeting. Xan had sensed the whole thing was a set up. Jason’s pater knew more than he should about a lot of things, but he was very good at keepings secrets, so Xan didn’t worry overly much about that.
“I know. So you explained at the time,” Ray’s brows lowered again. “But there’s something going on, and it’s not barroom brawls. The Monhundys even alluded to the rumors about you yesterday when setting up this appointment, and, of course, that set Father off.”
Xan’s pulse galloped. “He thinks everything that goes wrong for the company is my fault.”
“No, just the things that go wrong because people are whispering about your sexual proclivities and whether or not you truly are unmanned.”
Xan coughed, trying to school his face to something akin to offense, but his heart jump kicked and he felt faint. Ray had never actually said the words out loud before. He’d hinted at it in the past—everyone in the family had. But no one had just said it all bold and bald like that. Xan didn’t know where to look.
“Not that I give one damn about what sort of cock you like, baby brother, because, believe it or not, I really don’t.” Ray’s voice gentled, but Xan couldn’t look at him. He stared out the window at the building next to them, at the way the blue sky reflected in the windows.
Ray went on, “As a beta, these Holy Book of Wolf protocols and strictures about sex and reproduction seem all too clearly about keeping control of the breeding stock, so to speak. Frankly, if you were any other man, I’d say love who you love and enjoy what you like, and we’d put this aside.” He placed his hands on Xan’s shoulders, their weight warm and firm. “But you’re Xan Heelies, and that means you’re the alpha son of our father, the heir to his business, and the man people need to believe is capable of being more than a pretty figurehead here.”
Xan opened his mouth, but only a strangled noise came out. He closed it again.
“Our clients and the company’s employees need to see you as mature enough to take over when Father eventually leaves the helm. But parading around looking like you’ve been worked over with a meat tenderizer is no way to do that. Neither is allowing rumors to bloom about whether or not you bend over for alpha dick. Or any dick for that matter.”
Xan jerked his gaze back to Ray and croaked out, “I didn’t want to come in! I wanted to stay home. But Father—”
“No, Xan. This isn’t about Father.” Ray squeezed Xan’s shoulders. “This is about what we need to do now. The gossip mill is working over time and we have to get this under control. Bringing you in today was clearly a bad idea, but it’s too late to do anything about that now. You’ve been seen, and we’ll have to contain this damage as well.”
He turned away, heading over to his paper-stacked desk. The place on Xan’s shoulders where Ray’s warm hands had been went cold, and he shivered as he forced himself to turn away from the window.
Ray motioned toward the chair opposite, and they both sat. Xan’s heart clacked hard like a steam engine on the line, making him both nauseous and sweaty. He wanted to undo his bow tie to give himself more room to breathe, but he didn’t want to appear so undone in front of Ray. He hadn’t denied anything, but he hadn’t admitted to anything either. Maybe there was still a way to salvage this.
“So what’s the plan?” he finally managed to ask. “How do we spin this?”
“You’re being sent to Virona,” Ray said with a sigh. He leaned across his desk, steepling his fingers, slightly knocking askew a framed photo of their lost brother, Jordan, who’d died as a child. Despite the kindness in Ray’s eyes, his voice brooked no argument. “Your house there is being prepared. The one pater left to you in a trust. It was his family home, if you remember? The Lofton Estate. It’s large. Too big for just you and Caleb. I suggest filling it with children as quickly as possible, and, in the meantime, host influential guests.”
“Virona,” Xan said, his pulse rushing in his ears so that he wasn’t sure he’d heard properly.
“By the sea, yes. Three hours from here by rail. Not exiled, but definitely distanced. Perhaps it’ll give you time to think about your association with whoever did that to your face.” Ray winced. “As well as reconsidering your relationship with whoever it is that you’re screwing. I can only pray they aren’t one and the same.” He wiped a hand over his mouth, heaviness and sorrow evident in the drag of his features.
Xan cast around for the right words to say to fix this, but he came up empty. “What will I do in Virona?”
“Direct the opening of a satellite office,” Ray said. He tapped a file folder on his desk. “I’ll send weekly instructions. You’ll carry them out. Handle problems that come up on your own to the best of your ability. Most of all, Xan, you will prove yourself.” Ray leaned back in his chair. “This is a good opportunity for a fresh start. The rumors won’t have made it to Virona yet, and, so long as you don’t find a new associate there with which to stir things up, you can clear the air, gain some traction in the business, and redeem yourself in Father’s eyes.”
“And what about your eyes?”
Ray leaned forward across his desk, his brows rising earnestly. “I love you always, baby brother. Don’t you know that? I’ve spoiled you as much as Pater has, perhaps more. So it hurts to send you away, especially when I can see in these bruises how very much you might need me right now. But Father believes this is the best compromise. He was in favor of a much more drastic step. But Pater and I made him see reason.”
